BY NWOSU HAPPINESS
Persecution of the Igbos
From June through October 1966,
pogroms in the North killed tens of thousands of Igbos and caused millions to
flee to the Eastern Region. 29 September 1966, was considered the worst day. The massacres were led by the Nigerian army.
Before, during and after the slaughter, Col. Gowon could be heard over the
radio issuing 'guarantees of safety' to all Easterners, all citizens of
Nigeria, but the intent of the soldiers, the only power that counts in Nigeria
now or then, was painfully clear.
Breakaway
On 27 May 1967, Gowon proclaimed
the division of Nigeria into twelve states. This decree carved the Eastern
Region in three parts: South Eastern State, Rivers State, and East Central
State.
On 30 May 1967, Ojukwu Declared
Independence of The republic of Biafra.
The Federal Military Government
immediately placed an embargo on all shipping to and from Biafra—but not on oil
tankers. Biafra quickly moved to collect oil royalties from oil companies doing
business within its borders. When Shell-BP acquiesced to this request at the
end of June, the Federal Government extended its blockade to include oil. The
blockade, which most foreign actors accepted, played a decisive role in putting
Biafra at a disadvantage from the beginning
War
Shortly after extending its
blockade to include oil, the Nigerian government launched a "police
action" to retake the secessionist territory. The war began on 6 July 1967
when Nigerian Federal troops advanced in two columns into Biafra. The Nigerian
Army offensive was through the north of Biafra led by Colonel Mohammed Shuwa
and the local military units were formed as the 1st Infantry Division. The
division was led mostly by northern officers. After facing unexpectedly fierce
resistance and high casualties, the right-hand Nigerian column advanced on the
town of Nsukka which fell on 14 July, while the left-hand column made for
Garkem, which was captured on 12 July.
Biafran Offensive
The Biafrans responded with an
offensive of their own when, on 9 August, the Biafran forces moved west into
the Mid-Western Nigerian region across the Niger river, passing through Benin
City, until they were stopped at Ore (in present day Ondo State) just over the
state boundary on 21 August, just 130 miles east of the Nigerian capital of
Lagos. The Biafran attack was led by Lt. Col. Banjo, a Yoruba, with the Biafran
rank of brigadier. The attack met little resistance and the Mid-West was easily
taken over.
General Gowon responded by asking
Colonel Murtala Mohammed (who later became head of state in 1975) to form
another division (the 2nd Infantry Division) to expel the Biafrans from the
Mid-West, as well as defend the West side and attack Biafra from the West as
well. As Nigerian forces retook the Mid-West, the Biafran military
administrator declared the Republic of Benin on 19 September, though it ceased
to exist the next day. (The present country of Benin, west of Nigeria, was
still named Dahomey at that time.)
Although Benin City was retaken
by the Nigerians on 22 September, the Biafrans succeeded in their primary
objective by tying down as many Nigerian Federal troops as they could. Gen.
Gowon also launched an offensive into Biafra south from the Niger Delta to the
riverine area using the bulk of the Lagos Garrison command under Colonel
Benjamin Adekunle (called the Black Scorpion) to form the 3rd Infantry Division
(which was later renamed as the 3rd Marine Commando). As the war continued, the
Nigerian Army recruited amongst a wider area, including the Yoruba, Itshekiri,
Urhobo, Edo, Ijaw, etc.
Nigerian Offensive
Four battalions of the Nigerian
2nd Infantry Division were needed to drive the Biafrans back and eliminate
their territorial gains made during the offensive. Nigerian soldiers under
Murtala Mohammed carried out a mass killing of 700 civilians when they captured
Asaba on the River Niger. The Nigerians were repulsed three times as they
attempted to cross the River Niger during October, resulting in the loss of
thousands of troops, dozens of tanks and equipment. The first attempt by the
2nd Infantry Division on 12 October to cross the Niger from the town of Asaba
to the Biafran city of Onitsha cost the Nigerian Federal Army over 5,000
soldiers killed, wounded, captured or missing. Operation Tiger Claw (17–20 October
1967) was a military conflict between Nigerian and Biafran military forces. On
17 October 1967 Nigerians invaded Calabar led by the "Black
Scorpion", Benjamin Adekunle while the Biafrans were led by Col. Ogbu Ogi,
who was responsible for controlling the area between Calabar and Opobo, and
Lynn Garrison a foreign mercenary. The Biafrans came under immediate fire from
the water and the air. For the next two days Biafran stations and military
supplies were bombarded by the Nigerian air force. That same day Lynn Garrison
reached Calabar but came under immediate fire by federal troops. By 20 October,
Garrison's forces withdrew from the battle while Col. Ogi officially
surrendered to Gen. Adekunle.
Control over Oil Production
Control over petroleum in the
Niger Delta was a paramount military objective during the war. Towards the end of July 1967, Nigerian
federal troops and marines captured Bonny Island in the Niger Delta, thereby
taking control of vital Shell-BP facilities. Operations began again in May
1968, when Nigeria captured Port Harcourt. The royalties enabled Nigeria to buy
more weapons, hire mercenaries, etc. Biafra proved unable to compete on this
economic level.
End of the war
With
increased British support the Nigerian federal forces launched their final
offensive against the Biafrans once again on 23 December 1969 with a major
thrust by the 3rd Marine Commando Division the division was commanded by Col. Olusegun Obasanjo (who later became
president twice) which succeeded in splitting the Biafran enclave into two by
the end of the year. The final Nigerian offensive, named "Operation
Tail-Wind", launched on 7 January 1970 with the 3rd Marine Commando
Division attacking, and supported by the 1st Infantry division to the north and
the 2nd Infantry division to the south. The Biafran town of Owerri fell on 9 January, and Uli
fell on 11 January. Only a few days earlier, Ojukwu fled into exile by flying
by plane to the Ivory
Coast,
leaving his deputy Philip Effiong
to handle the details of the surrender to General Yakubu
Gowon of
the federal army on 13 January 1970. The war finally ended a few days later
with the Nigerian forces advancing in the remaining Biafran held territories
with little opposition.
After
the war Gowon said, "The tragic chapter of violence is just ended. We are
at the dawn of national reconciliation. Once again we have an opportunity to
build a new nation. My dear compatriots, we must pay homage to the fallen, to
the heroes who have made the supreme sacrifice that we may be able to build a
nation, great in justice, fair trade, and industry.
The independence of Biafra is achievable? Remember united we stand divided we fall
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